Under Trump HBCUs and vocational education are ensured future funding

Trump has been meeting with leaders of historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, since the beginning of his campaign. In 2017 he enacted an order that moved an HBCU initiative from the Department of Education to the White House.

His administration's largest contribution to HBCU funding was the signing of the FUTURE Act in 2019. After debating and compromising, Congress passed the act ensuring that the original STEM funding for HBCUs from President George W. Bush's 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act would continue to be awarded. This act ensures HBCUs receive an annual $255 million in STEM funding for the next 10 years.

Harry L. Williams, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, told PolitiFact that before the act passed, HBCUs and advocacy groups would have to "annually ask Congress to renew these dollars." He said that for Trump, "this is a positive outcome that his administration will be able to say that he supported," though he added that the act was made possible by bipartisan support in Congress.

The Trump administration has also made progress on Trump's promise to ensure funding for trade and vocational education. In 2018 Trump signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which reauthorizes a $1.2 billion program from 2006. The program will now extend to 2024 and increase its funding by 11% over those six years. 

Trump has signed acts from Congress that will ensure HBCUs and vocational education receive significant federal funding in the future. We rate this a Promise Kept.